COMPANIES

At lunch the Australian share market is having a much better day, with the All Ordinaries index (XAO) around 0.4 pct or 19.7 pts higher to 4533.5. Close to all sectors are higher, with gains from the banks and miners helping to keep the market in positive territory.

Gen-Y Australians are avoiding renting property, preferring to go straight from the family home to home ownership where possible, recent data shows.

Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei and Norwegian network operator Telenor have erected the world's northernmost LTE tower in Longyearbyen on the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Circle.

"What is unique about Honest to Goodness is our ethics, ideals and principles behind the products we choose to sell and the way we do business, so seeing Honest to Goodness plastered all over Woolworths was devastating for us and our customers and we were left with little choice".

Senior managers aren’t doing enough to create a sustainable workplace, according to a new survey.

Despite a 5% year-on-year dip in the overall market, iPhone shipments soared 13% quarter-on-quarter, with Apple becoming the top mobile device vendor in Australia for the first time, with nearly one third market share, Research firm International Data Corp.'s Q1 2011 Mobile Device Tracker revealed.

Murchison Metals, the company primarily responsible for the Oakajee Port and Rail project has admitted to difficulties in funding its share of the development after a key customer placed its mid-west operations on hold.

Admittedly would weigh on household budgets, the Australian government has volunteered to share some of the financial burden entailed by the proposed carbon tax.

The Australian government is prepared for the counter-offensive as leading cigarettes firm Philip Morris takes legal action against a planned marketing prohibition in the country.

Politicians, taxi-drivers and journalists are among the least trusted professionals in Australian society, according to a new survey. Australians even trust sex workers more than these professionals.

Diesel, the maker of jeans for hot girls, has released an app that allows you to slack off at work without having your boss catch you on Facebook. Diesel's new "Be Stupid at Work app" makes Facebook appear to be an Excel spreadsheet, which means you can update your status and read updates all you want without the guy who shares your cubicle or your boss noticing. Download the app at http://www.bestupidatwork.com/

Two of Australia's biggest supermarket retailers say the Federal Government have not consulted them about the proposed carbon tax and are calling on the Government to reveal details about the tax before implementation.

The organisation of small non-bank lenders in Australia will continue the battle to extend competitive mortgage fees as against the big banks in spite the leveling of exit fees, the industry-led Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) said.

Australia's renewable energy industry has welcomed Thursday's report of the Senate Inquiry into the Social and Economic Impact of Rural Wind Farms, saying it provided no reason to stop the roll out of this important clean energy technology.

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard is celebrating her first year in government with almost 60 percent of citizens wary of extending support to reforms she wanted to undertake specifically a carbon emissions tax deemed unpopular in an economy fueled by the mining sector.

The Australian stock market is seen receiving a little shove from the negative leads over volatile overnight sessions in the US and European stock markets. The ASX is seen performing modestly on Friday.

The Australian government finally sealed its hard-fought agreements with two of the country’s leading telcos that hopefully will roll out the implementation of the National Broadband Network, pending the approval of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) has drawn down US$85M under a Project Finance Facility for the completion of the company's Company's Central Ashanti Gold Project ("CAGP") in Ghana, Africa.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s legal battles with his Harvard contemporaries Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss may see an end soon with the twins informing the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday that they are intending not to appeal its earlier decision.

National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) has again stoke Australian banking competition, urging its rivals to either act, or explain to their customers why they refuse to give them the best possible deal.

Company software developer AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd, has warned Australians of the persisting personal identity theft as more scams might develop and are being created for the tax return season starting on 1 July.

One underperforming team member can drag down the performance of the entire team, according to new research.

Australia’s ongoing skills shortage isn’t only a problem for employers – it’s also having a serious effect on employee stress levels, according to a new survey.

ExxonMobil Australia subsidiary Mobil Oil Australia plans to increase fuel storage capacity at its Adelaide terminal with the construction of new 9 million litre diesel tank.

Workplace bullying can affect not just the victims, but any colleagues who witness it, according to a New Zealand study.

A broken arm requires a doctor to diagnose the break and set the arm in plaster. The problem is known and so is the solution.

Investors were left a bit surprised, and not that impressed, with Qantas's announcements yesterday.

Despite losing millions due to a string of natural disasters and rising fuel prices, Qantas Group expects to report $500m to $550m profit for the year ending 30 June 2011.

Women who smoke while pregnant increase their child's risk of heart attack or stroke by up to 20 percent, a new study has found.